Overview & Reviews

Only some subtle changes to standard and optional equipment are in store for the 2015 BMW 3 Series. Most notably, Bluetooth audio connectivity is now standard across the model line and heated front seats, navigation and a sunroof may be ordered as a stand-alone options.

Pros:

Upscale interior with straightforward controls and spacious seating.

Excellent ride and handling balance

Powerful and fuel-efficient engines

Cons:

Automatic stop-start system is intrusive.

ActiveHybrid 3 lacks typical hybrid efficiency

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 9 of 9.00

Bye Bye BMW
- 2015 BMW 3-Series
By Behzad
- January 13 - 7:04 am

how sad , when once you could by a premium , howling lovable Straight 6 for the money , and now what you get is a 4 cylinder sounding like a broken blender machine , and a lot of "Green" blah blah blah ! and when you complain about it , them start bragging about how fast and powerful and "Economical" it is , this isn't what a BMW (and more generally a sports car is all about) ,no amount of savage power is going to replace its "Soul" , that is now gone .

Love it with a few minor complaints
- 2015 BMW 3-Series
By BMWDriverCA
- September 28 - 6:29 pm

The car looks great and drives great! I enjoy the drive, it's very comfortable and I'm overall pretty happy, but...
I do not have satellite radio (which I had in my much cheaper Toyota) and miss it, and am loathe to spend $600 for it.
I am very disappointed by the locking system. The fact that I have to find my keys to enter and exit/lock my car and I can't do that through automatic sensing is very annoying (again my much less expensive Toyota had this). I understand that I can't even have this feature added to the base model, but rather must get a whole new car. I am leasing, and every time I get into and out of the car, I am reminded that I look forward to getting a new car once the lease is done in 3 years... Overall this is a great car, it's just a shame to be so frequently reminded of this shortcoming.
The voice recognition is not great.

If you drive a lot, you'll love the comfort, handling and mpg...and with diesel you'll save enough to pay for it. I cannot believe I'm getting 37.5 mpg combined in a BMW. I'm getting 48 mpg on the freeway...75mph with the a/c on. I went from $75 for a tank of premium to $30 for a tank of diesel (yes,it's $1/gallon less) in Los Angeles...and i'm now filling up once per week, compared to every 4-5 days. Fit and finish is German. Instruments laid out as expected. Drink holders actually work in this model. Could use storage under front seat, but lack of spare tire (run flats) gives enough extra space in the car...just not up front. iDrive system works well, and short cut buttons on the dash come in handy. Will store 3 driver's information (radio presets, seats, short cut buttons, climate preference...really slick.) If you cannot find something to listen to, you're not trying...cd,radio, satellite, bluetooth, usb. Backup camera works well with sensors.

I bought a loaded 328i M-sport, love the car, I'd only buy it with all the great tech options. If you want the brand, engine, transmission, and base features buy it! If you want one with the bells and whistles, be prepared to own it for life, because the resale is terrible (you don't get any value for the packages , only Navigation). Especially with sub models, lease/purchase specials, and CPOs). All in all I love driving my car, but I hate that I'm upside down in it for its life... I'd like to upgrade in the future, but due to its cost from all the options I'll be stuck for at least 3 years. This isn't a problem for normal people but my automotive shelf life is 1 year to 18 months,,, so I'm salty.

Yes, Gotta have it. There is a real break-in period. There are noticeable improvements in shifting smoothness ( 6 spd manual), although maybe it's me that is breaking in to the car. This car is plenty fast (for me, anyway) and a great, quiet cruiser. Just for fun, I reset the computer after getting on 95 for a trip up to NJ. With a steady 70 mph on cruise control, the consumption was an average of 43 mpg over approx. 100 miles. Granted, that is purely just a 70 mph cruise with no stopping or much accelerating, except for tolls and pit stops, but it is an eye-opener when you look at that display. Around the suburban area where I live, the mileage hovers around 30 mpg. My usual drive mode is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, then 6th gears, revving to about 3000-3500 in 1st and 2nd. Not exactly a feather foot.

Black on Black 320i with manual 6 speed, Sport, Premium and Driver Assistance packages, plus heated front seats. I've had it for two weeks and less than 500 miles.
I traded in a 2013 Honda Accord Sport CVT. The Honda had accumulated some equity in the lease, so it went back 5 months early the dealer paid it all off (residual and 5 payments) leaving a zero balance against the BMW lease. Impressive for Honda.
In several ways, I miss the Honda: the "infotainment" was better. The BMW does not have a Pandora source in its system. Yes, it will stream music, but you control it from the smartphone, not through the car. Rebound control seemed better than the BMW, especially for the rear. I really liked the CVT. ( I don't like automatic transmissions with gears, so I got the manual BMW.)
The BMW gas mileage in suburban traffic seems about the same as the Accord, which was excellent: 26 to 40 mpg. Power seems similar also, but the BMW is MUCH quieter and smoother, so it's hard to tell. The BMW certainly seems to have enough power, but it's not a racer. (I purposely looked for a low-powered BMW to save on traffic tickets, based on past experience with other BMWs. This is the primary reason why the 320i attracted me - it's sensible and well balanced.)
But when you consider that the BMW lease payment is just $6 more than the Honda payment (although I did kick in a little cash to cover tax and tags), and that it has far more premium features than the Honda did, not to mention all that comes with the BMW brand, The BMW Club, you see the advantage.
I'm looking forward to "growing into" the BMW as it breaks in.

Woth the price!
- 2015 BMW 3-Series
By del21
- June 26 - 3:40 pm

I downgraded power from a 2011 328i sedan to a 2015 320i sedan. Not much is lost with the power for the price. The 2015 320i is more of a comfortable ride and the interior styling is very luxurious. I think for the price the 320 beats the 328 and the power is still there with the turbo added.

This car has met or exceeded my expectations in every category. It provides outstanding performance, excellence MPG (38 mpg on first trip of 55, 65 and 70 mph while in comfort mode), the navigation system is excellence, blue tooth setup and streaming is perfect, seats are very comfortable, and the styling continues to be one of the most beautiful on the road.
If you are looking for a entry level sport sedan that does everything well while maintaining the right balance between performance and luxury, you can not go wrong with the 2015 BMW 3 series.
This vehicle is a blast to drive, while at the same time providing all the technology and creature comforts any one could desire!

No one talks about the 320.....
- 2015 BMW 3-Series
By bimmer320ix
- September 18 - 5:38 pm

....but someone ought to. No neck-snapping acceleration, especially with the ix version. More than ample power, however. Most importantly, fuel consumption in hybrid territory. Just did a quick (average speed 68.2 mph) Philly-Washington, DC round trip including stop-and-go on both ends. Less than a half tank of gas, 39.1 mpg according to the meter. No, I wasn't drafting 18-wheelers.